Reducing for Growth: How the Right Metal Scrap and Fluid Recycling Equipment Fuels Savings and Expansion

When Youngers & Sons, a family-run machining company in Viola, Kansas, began operations in 1973, they didn’t expect their small, original outbuilding to expand to three facilities and more than 100,000 square feet in the Wichita area.

A steady stream of welding, machining and other projects were key to the company’s initial growth. But in recent years, goals for future expansion and a wider company vision became clearer while undertaking an initiative to improve existing processes and facilities – rooted in metal chip and fluid waste reduction.

We sat down with VP of Manufacturing and Chief Operating Officer Chad Hoheisel to talk about how finding the right on-site equipment not only led to improvements in existing manufacturing processes, but reduced expenditures and created new areas of production.

Q: Chad, can you tell us a little about how the endeavor to keep growing amid already successful operations came about?

A: We realized that certain parts of our operations, namely metal scrap and fluid recycling, were not nearly as efficient as they could be. We were using third-party providers for haul-away and recycling and losing a lot of scrap value. Replacement expenses for coolant continued to mount as well, so these became the first areas to focus on.

The installation of PRAB metal scrap and fluid recycling equipment at Youngers and Sons in Wichita, KS, revolutionized their approach to scrap and fluid management. This advanced system automates scrap volume reduction and coolant reclamation, leading to significant cost savings and environmental benefits.

Q: How was that inefficiency impacting operations?

A: In addition to rising expenses, the work environment was unsafe and dirty. Bins of oily scrap and containers of spent fluid would accumulate on the shop floor until they could be picked up, which caused environmental and safety risks, not to mention all the clutter.

Youngers and Sons optimized its manufacturing facilities to support growth in oil and gas, agriculture, heavy equipment, and other industrial markets.

Q: What was your first step to solving this?

A: It became obvious that we had to revamp our metal scrap and fluid processing procedures to help us save recycling costs and optimize compliance. We also wanted to improve safety and declutter the plant. With those goals in mind, we started doing industry research for the right solutions, and that’s when we found PRAB.

The Youngers and Sons operation in Viola, KS, originally started in a small metal out-building on the founder’s farm.

Q: How did the process begin with PRAB?

A: They came out and assessed our facility and operational needs so they could tailor the right equipment solution for us. Based on their assessment of our facility and production requirements, PRAB engineered for us a metal scrap processing and coolant recovery system that automated the processing of the metal we machined to reduce the overall volume of it and reclaimed the processing fluids on-site.

Q: Did the new equipment meet your expectations?

A: It has. Although the initial installation required some follow-up adjustments PRAB took care of us. Their technicians visited the plant to make sure the system ran as intended for our needs. We’re happy to say our former recycling process – which was slow, messy and inefficient – became a thing of the past. The PRAB equipment is highly engineered and robust.

Q: What impact has the new equipment had on your scrap and fluid recycling process?

A: We’re now reclaiming 99.7% of the fluids we use. Our haul-away costs for metal scrap and fluids have lowered by 18% and we’ve reduced new coolant purchases by 38%. We’re also getting 12% more value from the recycler and our facility remains nice and tidy. The system is incredibly clean, and our staff can’t believe the difference.

The PRAB Guardian™ Coolant Recycling System cleans and restores the reclaimed coolant, making it ready for reuse during fabrication.

Q: What do these improvements mean for Youngers & Sons today, and moving forward?

A: Resource-wise, the immediate cost savings help position us for long-term growth. The performance of the in-house PRAB equipment allows us to expand production while significantly reducing haul-away and new fluid expenses. From those standpoints, it’s already a win-win.

In addition, the equipment improvements support our goal to have our facilities ready for visitors almost instantly. Our customers are shocked when they visit and see how clean and efficient our process is now.

Q: Considering those impactful operational successes, what’s in store regarding the future vision for the company?

A: Our objective is to be more than a status quo metalworking operation. This level of process efficiency and resource savings will help us continue to lead the way in sustainable manufacturing practices and shape the company as a workplace of choice for employees and a benchmark for others in the industry to measure against. We’re excited to take the next step in the Youngers’ family legacy.

Learn more about Youngers & Sons Manufacturing Company at youngersmfg.com.

Visit prab.com for details on in-house metal scrap and fluid recycling systems.